100 DEER-STALKING. CH. XXVI* 



deer, that I took good care not to show myself, and 

 crawled carefully into a hollow way, which, leading 

 to the edge of the burn, would enable me to walk 

 almost unseen for a long distance, and I thought 

 that there might still be deer feeding in some 

 bend of the watercourse, where they had escaped 

 my search. Before I had walked many hundred 

 yards down the course of the burn I saw such traces 

 as convinced me they had been feeding there within 

 a few hours ; so arranging my plaid and rifle 

 I walked stealthily and slowly onwards, expect- 

 ing to see them every moment. The nature of 

 the ground was such that I might come on them 

 quite unperceived ; the dog too showed symptoms 

 of scenting something, putting his nose to the 

 tracks and then looking wistfully in my face, watch- 

 ing every movement of my rifle. The inquiring 

 expression of his face was perfect : whenever I 

 stopped to look over or around some projecting 

 angle of rock he kept his eyes fixed on my face, as 

 if to read in it whether my search was successful 

 or not. A deer-stalker in the situation I was in 

 would make a good subject for a painter. I wound 

 my way silently and slowly through the broken rock 

 and stone which formed the bed of the burn, showing 

 in their piled up confusion that the water must at 

 some times rage and rush with the fury and power 



